The Cult of Busyness Finding God in All Things By Colleen Carroll Campbell

Pope Benedict XVI recently gave an Angelus address on topic that might seem surprising to those familiar with the legendary German work ethic. Speaking to several thousand pilgrims who had gathered outside his vacation home in August, the Bavarian-born Pope advised them to take a cue from a 12th-century Cistercian monk, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and learn to take a break.

“It is necessary to pay attention to the dangers of excessive activity,” said Benedict, who quoted St. Bernard in warning that “numerous occupations often lead to ‘hardness of heart,’ ‘they are no more than suffering for the spirit, loss of intelligence, and dispersion of grace.’”